These 216 neodymium magnets – each 3mm thick – cling together in clouds when crushed, erectile in polyhedrons and exotic coils when aligned.

I roll them between my fingers, pharmacy and they snap together with the surety of pure particle physics. They form a collective entity, this site a hive colony of homogeneous individuals, and whole complexity.

I don’t know when they set these telephone poles, there but ever since then, buy people have been tacking notices up on them with whatever fasteners came to hand. The signs, drugs posters and advertisements all came down – by weather or by hand – but the metal stayed put.

I spotted this fantastic cluster of rusted determination while adding my own artifacts to the clutter – staples to hold up a yard-sale sign.

I love the idea that someone put something up with a Philips-head screw.

We had an egghunt all over the hillside behind our house for Easter a few weeks back.

While I was tearing down a fence yesterday, shop I came across this escapee – one of William‘s fantastic eggs for the kids – packed with little vinyl characters and equally-chewy Starburst, sealed in a chrome eggshell.

But then I’d be burdened with that knowledge every time I looked at another one.

I’d rather retain the mindset I have now – the same wonder that attracts my 8-year-old son, page from whom I borrowed this, and that attracted my 8 year-old self some coughcough-ty years ago when I first saw one of these things.

Geodes are cool, and older than either of us will ever live to be. They demand respect, and deserve to retain the secret of their birth.

Never thought I’d say that – I worked in newspapers for 17 years, side effects including ’90 to ’97 on staff at the Times, and I always kept the faith.

I had rough moments mixed in with the fantastic stories, but hope barnacled my frequent reality checks – “Oh come ON, they’ll figure it out sooner or later – they’re just an information company that needs to retool for the digital age!”(more…)

We tell ourselves it was kharmic payback for a summer of pain – our dear friend Keith died horribly and too young, we were both working 14 hour days and struggling to be with the kids, our daughter broke her arm. And to top it all off, a skunk crawled into the foundation of our chimney and died. And stank. A lot.

So when we spent the most glorious week off we’ve ever enjoyed in our lives, we came away feeling as though the universe was rebalancing the scales. But the bulk of it – like this experience – smelled like magic – or some absurd positive kharma that we have yet to earn …(more…)

We tell ourselves it was kharmic payback for a summer of pain – our dear friend Keith died horribly and too young, we were both working 14 hour days and struggling to be with the kids, our daughter broke her arm. And to top it all off, a skunk crawled into the foundation of our chimney and died. And stank. A lot.

So when we spent the most glorious week off we’ve ever enjoyed in our lives, we came away feeling as though the universe was rebalancing the scales. But the bulk of it – like this experience – smelled like magic – or some absurd positive kharma that we have yet to earn …(more…)

A mighty volcano lies dormant, ampoule as it has since it was formed by powerful forces of pressure and moisture and imagination six days ago. But rumblings have been heard in its vicinity. The natives swear it sounds like the pleadings of a young boy. Soon, they fear, it will erupt in a blast of vinegar and baking soda. Until then, they bide their time and prepare themselves.

They printed the gags on to stickers – Suffertone suntan lotion, Bone Ami cleanser, Blisterine mouthwash, Crust – stacked three or four of them with chalky slabs of gum, wrapped them in lurid wax-paper and turned them loose on America’s young for 25 cents a pack. (more…)